Chávez’s excuse for not approving the funds is that, according to him, any money earmarked for the hospital would somehow be appropriated by the opposition mayor’s office. I guess we all agree that the Comptroller’s Office – which should in theory prevent such a thing from happening – is absolutely worthless.

Chávez is not really punishing city hall, nor is he concerned about the misappropriation of funds. His real beef is with the people of Petare, the very patients who will use the new hospital, the ones who rejected his candidate for mayor.

It’s punishment by purse-strings: vote for me, and the money will flow; vote for the other guys, and you’re on your own. It’s the same way a kidnapper behaves with his victim.

Chávez ignores crime as a problem, and neglects the hospitals that care for the victims. It’s safe to say Venezuela is not in the midst of a crime wave. It’s being destroyed by a chavista death tsunami.